High profile recruits have increasingly waited until after Signing Day to commit to a school in recent years and with the class of 2012 it was Olney (Md.) athlete Stefon Diggs who kept coaches, fans and recruits wondering which program he would wind up at.

The answer finally came Friday night as the five-star athlete put on a Maryland cap at a local restaurant and committed to the hometown Terps.

One of the fastest players in the country, Diggs runs in the 4.4 range in the 40-yard dash and can play on either side of the ball as a wide receiver or defensive back. The five-star will likely end up on offense in college after accounting for 1,443 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior, leading Our Lady of Good Counsel to a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title last season.

Much of the credit in Maryland landing Diggs goes to new offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. The former head coach at New Mexico and offensive coordinator at Illinois is well-known for his connections in the Washington, D.C. area as a recruiter. In addition to Diggs, teammate and the country's 10th-ranked running back Wes Brown signed with the program. Though the commitment is not enough to put Maryland in the top 25 class rankings, it does give head coach Randy Edsall and the program a marquee recruit in 2012.

"On the field he's one of the nation's most exciting ball players, an elite prospect and a difference maker," analyst Tom Lemming said of Diggs. "Exceptional with the ball in his hands, he's a high school superstar be it running with the ball, catching the ball, or picking off a pass. He seems to do everything with ease and is a natural, all around athlete."

The Maxpreps All-American gives Maryland 23 commitments in the class of 2012.

That's thanks to Jordan Diamond, the 6'6", 310-pound four-star tackle from Chicago's Simeon High School who signed with Auburn Friday night. Diamond picked the Tigers over offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Arkansas and others.

"Auburn is getting a hard, dedicated player with great character," Simeon head coach Dante Culbreathtold the Chicago Tribune. "Jordan felt comfortable with the Auburn coaching staff, like here at Simeon. It was a matter of that relationship and how he felt."

The No. 1 prospect in the state of Illinois is the prototypical LT. Blessed with long arms and quick feet, he can effectively block on the second level and eliminate linebackers ... He has a take no prisoners' attitude, never lets up, shows good hand/punch in pass protection, can seal and sustain blocks, and he's exceptionally strong at the point of attack. He anchors well and he uses his outstanding athletic ability to slide and mirror and cut off fast edge rushers. One of the most dominating LT's in the country.

Auburn is now poised to make a major post-Signing Day impact, with No. 14 overall athlete Stefon Diggs -- the nation's top remaining unsigned recruit -- also seriously considering the Tigers. Diggs is scheduled to sign Feb. 10.

For the second year in a row, multiple top uncommitted prospects picked Florida State in widely publicized National Signing Day announcements. Cornerback Ronald Darby (pictured above, No. 3 athlete in 2012 class) never even told head coach Jimbo Fisher he was definitely coming to Florida State, but when decision time came he reached for the Seminoles' hat. It started with Mario Edwards, Jr. signing his letter on ESPN in the morning, then on to Eddie Goldman's commitment and Jameis Winston's public recruitment of Darby just before the cornerback's announcement. For Florida State, the revolution was televised.

LOSER: North Carolina schools

Recently, high school football in the state of North Carolina has been on the rise. Unfortunately, it has not resulted in a boost to any of the North Carolina schools in the ACC. North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, and Duke missed out on every North Carolina prospect in Tom Lemming's Top 100 Players, and allowed 31 of the 55 in-state prospects to sign with out-of-state schools. If these football programs want to shake the "basketball school" reputation of Tobacco Road, they need to stop letting the best in-state talent get poached by other programs.

WINNER: Miami

The Hurricanes got a jump start on the competition due to self-imposed bowl ineligibility, and those early verbal commits helped secure enough to talent to keep the Hurricanes as a Top 10 class despite some defections. Miami also got a much-needed boost in the secondary with the commitment of Tracy Howard, and defensive end Tyriq McCord signed his letter despite rumors he may flip to USC or South Carolina. The heart of Golden's 2012 recruiting class lies right in Miami's backyard, with over half of the class from Southern Florida - many from Broward-Dade County area. Several Hurricanes' signees openly spoke about expecting NCAA action, and are willing to follow Golden's plan for success anyway.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs (No. 14 overall prospect) did not commit on National Signing Day. The top ranked unsigned recruit is strongly considering Florida, Auburn, and Maryland. While many believe the Gators are in the lead for Diggs, MaxPreps' Stephen Spiewak writes that Maryland still might have a chance. Former Illinois head coach Ron Zook believes that new Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, who has a great relationship with Diggs' family, could convince the Olney, Md. standout to stay in-state. With Locksley playing catch up in the recruiting game, every day without a Diggs commitment is likely to Maryland's advantage.

LOSER: Virginia Tech

While the Hokies pulled in another solid class, including talented wide receiver Joel Caleb, there was one decommit that caused an unwanted scene. Linebacker Jawand Blue, a Boca Raton, Fla. native, was committed to the Hokies until an opportunity arose at the last minute to jump in with Miami. When he called Virginia Tech, the phone conversation apparently did not go well. Unfortunately, a local reporter heard the conversation (from Blue's end) and began tweeting quotes "from Frank Beamer." A Virginia Tech spokesperson later clarified it was not Beamer, but assistant coach Charley Wiles. For more on the interaction, you can check out ACCSports.com's Signing Day blog. Blue was not a make-or-break recruit for Beamer, but the whole situation was a loss on a very public day for all recruiting news.

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We're a week away - if you can believe it - from the class of 2012 finally putting pen to paper and ending all of the drama surrounding their recruitment. There's still plenty of uncommitted players out there and lots of teams looking to move up in the class rankings. At the moment, it looks like Alabama has a stranglehold on the top spot but there's a small chance that another team could knock them out if a surprise or two ends up committing.

Below is an overview of the current Maxpreps top 25 class rankings, from the Crimson Tide to the Cardinal, and a few notes on each.

The Crimson Tide have already won a title in January and it's possible they'll get another come February 1st. This group has so many playmakers on both sides of the ball that several in this group will have to redshirt. Alabama is also in the running for several top commits so the rich might get even richer.

The Wolverines held the top spot in the class rankings for most of the year and still have a chance to finish there on Signing Day. This is a great group, especially on the o-line, that fills most of the team's depth needs and should make defensive coordinator Greg Mattison very happy.

Will Muschamp has a chance to reload quickly with the current group of commits. He's got good depth coming in along both lines and is in the running for several elite players like Stefon Diggs, Nelson Agholor and Tracy Howard.

This class was dead in the water for most of the year but has quickly gone from so-so to top five nationally thanks to Urban Meyer. There's a few offensive contributors but the real star power in this group is along the front seven.

There's a ton of explosiveness in this class but there's also a few questionable players in this group in terms of talent level. After "Duke" Johnson's senior year, it looks like the Hurricanes are getting the two best players in the state in him and Hamilton.

The Tigers are still in the running for some elite players when Signing Day rolls around but Les Miles has to be happy with the speed and athleticism the current class has. Johnson, if he sticks, could fill in quickly for the departed Rueben Randle.

This might be the best collection of D-linemen in the country. Edwards is likely to end up in Tallahassee and it's almost unfair to pair him with guys like Casher and Fowler off the edge. If Winston arrives on campus, then this group has great potential down the road.

This is a top 10 class for now. The emphasis is added because the departure of Tosh Lupoi to Washington has really thrown this group for a loop and caused several, such as Thompson, to look around before signing.

This was a top 10 class before Mike Sherman was fired and it looks like Kevin Sumlin will be able to keep the Aggies right around there. Davis and Williams are two dynamic players on offense and it's possible they'll be joined by former Texas commit, wide receiver Thomas Johnson too.

There's not the buzz with this group like there was last year grabbing #1 overall recruit Jadeveon Clowney. Still, they have two great pick ups in Davis and Roland on offense and several other pieces that should make this a top 8-12 class come February 2nd.

Jones is a big time DE but the there's plenty of players who will re-stock the wide receiver and defensive back positions. Coleman and Harris are going to be a very good 1-2 punch in the back field very soon.

This is the first class truly limited by NCAA sanctions but that doesn't mean Lane Kiffin hasn't been able to pull in some great players. The Trojans are also in the running for elite, top 20 players on Signing Day too.

It's not a 'Dream Team' like last year but there's several players like Gurley and/or Marshall who will play early on. They have to land their remaining targets, such as lineman Avery Young, to go from solid to a great class.

With mass staff changes and a down year, the Vols haven't gotten the elite player or two that everybody is used to seeing. Croom and Meredith are excellent weapons on offense though but there's a chance they could lose one of their top defenders on Signing Day too.

It's not often you find the Cardinal in the top 25 in recruiting but things are rolling on the Farm. This is linemen heavy and has several recruits who should see early playing time. Stanford is also in the mix for elite offensive linemen Josh Garnett and Andrus Peat.

National Signing Day is almost here and recruits across the country are gearing up for plenty of last-minute pitches and school visits as head coaches look to shape their program for years to come. Nobody treats the day more like a national holiday than those in the SEC and this year could be a banner year for the conference, especially with newcomers Texas A&M and Missouri. There's a chance half the league ends up with a top 15 class and it is looking favorable that one team signs the country's top recruit. The rich, it seems, just seem to get richer on Signing Day.

As good as Nick Saban is at winning games and building all-time great defenses, he might be even better at recruiting. It hurts to lose trusted lieutenant Sal Sunseri to Tennessee but this still has the makings of one of Alabama's greatest hauls ever. In addition to the elite players the Crimson Tide have already landed, they have a really good chance at grabbing defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and there's still an outside chance they can flip quarterback Jameis Winston. Still, as presently constructed, there's no doubt Alabama winds up #1 in the team rankings and is in the discussions for one of the top classes in recent memory.

2. How well do the newcomers fare?

Welcome to the big, bad SEC Missouri and Texas A&M. Now, how well do you recruit? At the moment, not bad at all. Despite a head coaching change, the Aggies have several talented top 100 players and should finish in the top 12 if they don't crack the top 10. The Tigers grabbed one of the best high school quarterbacks in the country and are in the running for the nation's top recruit (though they may be behind, they're still in the race). The quality depth might be present like elite classes Florida or Alabama have but it appears that the move to a new league hasn't hurt either program.

3. Does Auburn expereince a championship bounce?

It's a catch-22 for the Tigers, on one hand they won a BCS national championship not too long ago and were cleared by the NCAA. On the other hand they've lost both their coordinators and have seen some waffling from some of their commitments. It still looks like they're destined for a top 15 class but it's also possible they lose a top player or two, such as recent decommit Ricardo Louis (whose recruitment isn't over). If they can land one of the elite prospects left on their board, such as lineman Avery Young or linebacker Kwon Alexander, it would be safe to say Auburn's class got a nice uptick from winning a title. If they don't, the staff turnover might have negated it.

4. Can Vanderbilt top Tennessee in the class rankings?

The fact that this is even a storyline is a testament to what James Franklin has done. Neither team has an incoming class that screams 'wow,' but each has a few impressive recruits. Tennessee will probably finish with a deeper class but it might lack an elite prospect while Vanderbilt could wind up with a few top players and solid but not great depth. It's a pivotal year for both programs and you wonder if getting someone like current pledge and top 25 running back Brian Kimbrow to sign will provide a boost for the Commodores over their in-state rival.

Will Muschamp has a chance to reload quickly with the current group of commits. He's got good depth coming in along both lines and is in the running for several elite players like Diggs, Nelson Agholor and Tracy Howard.

It's not a 'Dream Team' like last year but there's several players like Gurley and/or Marshall who will play early on. They have to land their remaining targets, such as OL Avery Young, to go from solid to a great class.

Towles is the headliner for this group and one of UK's best quarterback commits in a long time. There's three Blaylock's that are supposed to sign and Zach is the best of the bunch. The Wildcats might add one or two more on top of the 24 committed.

This is very solid first effort as the Tigers look to join the SEC and could get even better if they land #1 overall recruit Dorial Green-Beckham. Mauk looks to fit right into the Mizzou system and make the transition from prolific high school passer to prolific college passer.

There's not the buzz with this group like there was last year grabbing #1 overall recruit Jadeveon Clowney. Still, they have two great pick ups in Davis and Roland on offense and several other pieces that should make this a top 8-12 class come February 2nd.

With mass staff changes and a down year, the Vols haven't gotten the elite player or two that everybody is used to seeing. Croom and Meredith are excellent weapons on offense though but there's a chance they could lose one of their top defenders on Signing Day too.

The Crimson Tide have already won a title in January and it's possible they'll get another come February 1st. This group has so many playmakers on both sides of the ball that several in this group will have to redshirt. Alabama is also in the running for several top commits so the rich might get even richer.

The Tigers are still in the running for some elite players when Signing Day rolls around but Les Miles has to be happy with the speed and athleticism the current class has. Johnson, if he sticks, could fill in quickly for the departed Rueben Randle.

There's nothing that sticks out about this group in particular but it could move from solid to good if Dan Mullen can secure commitments from QB Jeremy Liggins and LB Richie Brown. Adding those two to recent pledge Jefferson would make for a very nice year for the Bulldogs.

This was a top 10 class before Mike Sherman was fired and it looks like Kevin Sumlin will be able to keep the Aggies right around there. Davis and Williams are two dynamic players on offense and it's possible they'll be joined by former Texas commit, wide receiver Thomas Johnson too.

National Signing Day is almost here and recruits across the country are gearing up for plenty of last-minute pitches and school visits as head coaches look to shape their program for years to come. The Big Ten used to be like the football on the field against SEC opponents, a step slow and a little behind. That's no longer the case thanks to recent hires Urban Meyer at Ohio State and Brady Hoke at Michigan. They say the rivalry between the two schools is everyday and based on how the two newcomers are hitting the recruiting trail, the Midwest is suddenly one of the top battlegrounds in the country.

Big Ten meet Urban, he's a good recruiter. Some would call him relentless. In just a short time since his hiring, Meyer has taken the Buckeyes from middle of the back in the conference to one of the top five classes nationally. He's flipped several players and seems to have targeted what was Penn State's recruiting class in particular. Not everybody was spared, including Michigan State who lost Se'Von Pittman. Although scholarship reductions will put a crunch on the numbers, the current group isn't a finished product and the Buckeyes are still in the running for players like Armani Reeves so it's possible Meyer scores another big time player.

2. Does Michigan win the head-to-head battle with Ohio State?

At one point, Michigan was lapping the rest of the Big Ten when it came to recruiting but with Meyer in Columbus, the equation has changed slightly. The Wolverines have undergone some defections in the last month but the group of current commitments still adds depth at much needed positions and gives the program what might be the best incoming offensive line group in the country. It's possible to call the two schools' classes equal on the home stretch even if Michigan is ahead in the latest Maxpreps team rankings. The Buckeyes have more star power and are loaded along the defensive line, will that be enough to overtake a deep group of UM commits come Signing Day? Should be interesting to find out.

3. Does anyone else come close?

There's only two conference teams listed in the top 25 classes and that about sums up the situation in the Midwest. To be in an analogous mood, Ohio State is like a Ferrari and Michigan is a Lamborghini while the rest of the Big Ten is driving Yugos. It's not that there's bad players coming in, it's just that there's not enough of them. Indiana, Minnesota and others appear to be set in terms of recruiting but they are not filled with elite players. Michigan State, Wisconsin and others have gone for quality but haven't come close to getting any quantity. It should make for an interesting conference reset come February 2 to see if anybody can cobble together a top 25 class and even come close to what Michigan and Ohio State have done on the recruiting trail.

4. What does newcomer Nebraska's class look like?

It's not big, it's not spectacular and it's left many fans wondering what the heck is up. We're not talking about the latest menu addition at Jack-in-the-Box but Nebraska's recruiting class. Although the season fell short of expectations not many expected the Cornhuskers to struggle this much in terms of recruiting. There's some solid players among the commits, such as wide out Jordan Westerkamp and linebacker Michael Rose but there doesn't appear to be a huge name to be found among the bunch that can come in and leave an impression. The overall number of commits, 13 a week away from Signing Day, is also concerning. It's very possible that Bo Pelini ends up with a decent class of 2012 but, at the moment, it's going to take a lot of work to do so.

The Wolverines held the top spot in the class rankings for most of the year and still have a chance to finish there on Signing Day. This is a great group, especially on the o-line, that fills most of the team's depth needs and should make defensive coordinator Greg Mattison very happy.

A solid but not spectacular class, the Spartans have several diamonds in the rough (so to speak). O'Connor might need a few years but he's got the talent to develop into a very good Big Ten signal-caller.

It's not often the Gophers land one top 250 player so it's impressive that Jerry Kill was able to snag two of them. Nelson is a local kid who should adjust well after a redshirt year. There's plenty of Juco transfers to help provide an immediate boost.

Needless to say, Bo Pelini still has a lot to work on with this class. The size stands out first and it remains to be seen if the Huskers close strong or just fill out spaces this year. Westerkamp is a good pick up who should play early.

It's always difficult to project where Northwestern's class ends up but there a lot of solid contributors in this group mixed with some impact players like Jones. Odenigbo is a huge boost and should be a situational pass rusher from the start.

Ron Zook didn't exactly get this class off to a flying start and once he was fired, it took a further nose dive. There's some solid players committed so far but it remains to be seen what becomes of this essentially lost class.

This class was dead in the water for most of the year but has quickly gone from so-so to top five nationally thanks to Meyer. There's a few offensive contributors but the real star power in this group is along the front seven.

It's amazing this class is as big as it is given all that has happened in State College and the fact that the new head coach hasn't done any in-home visits. James is the best of the bunch and has the potential to be an all-conference tight end.

Quality not quantity is the phrase used for the Badgers class. While there's not a breakaway skill position player in the group, the OL is one of the best in the conference and Houston is a perfect fit for the offense at quarterback.